Google said Monday its video sharing site YouTube has begun a brief, limited trial of a new streaming platform aimed at bringing premium content and news from broadcasters to your desktop as it’s happening.

In co-operation with Howcast, Next New Networks, Rocketboom, and Young Hollywood, the YouTube live streaming platform will stream partners’ content in real-time. In addition, users will be able to engage with each other and the broadcaster via a “Live Comments” module. Google’s blog post indicated, however, that live streaming might be eventually rolled out to end-users some day:

This new platform integrates live streaming directly into YouTube channels; all broadcasters need is a webcam or external USB/FireWire camera.

Accompanying the experiment is a nice embeddable module that displays the interactive schedule as you can see above. A limited trial of YouTube live streaming is open today and tomorrow, September 13-14, 2010, starting at 8:00am Pacific time. Google will evaluate the trial feedback and decide whether to proceed with the project or shelve it.

Christian’s Opinion

This is very exciting. Google first gave us trailers, then free documentaries, and soon we’ll be able to rent Hollywood movies on YouTube. That’s all linear entertainment, though. YouTube has been lacking real-time news and live channel streaming, excluding a few experiments like the U2 concert, the Indian Premier League, and the White House channel.

Knowing that real-time reporting is the most important pre-requisite for couch potatoes and news junkies to begin with, I expect to see more of it on YouTube in the run-up to the Google TV launch. When YouTube becomes the definite source of quality content rather than a clearinghouse for kitten videos, and when the company integrates it with tellies, it could win the battle for your living room.